High Rate of Out-of-School Children Worries UNICEF

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed worry that despite the importance of education, at least, over 10 million school-aged children in Nigeria are out of school.

It, therefore, reiterated its commitment to engage traditional/religious stakeholders, school-based management committees, and youths in Bauchi State to ensure effective awareness and mobilisation of parents, guardians, and communities on the importance of enrolling all school-age children in schools.

UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Bauchi, Dr. Tushar Rane, in his welcome remarks at a media dialogue on ‘Out of School Children in Bauchi State’, held at the Chartwell Hotel in Misau Local Government Area of the state yesterday, stressed that education plays a vital role in the development of any country.

Rane said: “And quality education, especially at the basic level, is integral to socio-economic development, as no nation can rise above its educational level.”

He also emphasised that though education is a fundamental right that empowers children to reach their full potential, he however, lamented that “it is deeply worrying that due to varying factors, a significant number of children in Bauchi State are unable to access this fundamental right, robbing them of their dreams and aspirations.

“This is a major challenge to all of us. But at UNICEF, we are committed to improving the lives of children and women in Nigeria, especially in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Education for All (EFA) goals of educating all children at all levels and in all groups.”

The UNICEF Chief of Field Office explained that: “We work with the government to enhance planning for improved delivery of education. We also support the government to remove systemic barriers that impede children’s access to quality education.

“Our work with the government is further enhanced through the collaboration with traditional leaders, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations, communities, and other developmental partners to find solutions that will result in getting the out-of-school children back to school.”

Rane, therefore, called on the media as the driver of social discourse “to let the discussions from this media dialogue motivate us, to amplify the voices of out-of-school-children, advocate for change, and to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind.

“This media dialogue will be a platform for open and constructive discussions on the root causes of the issue of out-of-school-children; the challenges hindering school-aged children’s access to education, and most importantly, the potential solutions that we can collectively work towards in Bauchi State.”

He also said: “In this year’s enrollment drive campaign, we will be engaging traditional/religious stakeholders, school-based management committees, and youths to ensure effective awareness and mobilisation of parents, guardians, and communities, on the importance of enrolling all school-age children in schools. The media must also be on board.”

He concluded: “I commend all of you for your support to the cause of advancing child rights in Nigeria, and I reiterate our commitment to strengthening the partnership with you to ensure that all school-age children in Nigeria, including those in Bauchi State, fulfill their right to quality education.”

The state Ministry of Education in its submission by the Director of Administration and Human Resources, Yakubu Ahmed, agreed that the issue of out-of-school children is a menace that needs different approaches to tackle.

He stressed that the approaches must be evolved based on the specific needs of each area, stressing that the problems cannot be the same, which is the more reason that critical study must be made to know the needs of the area.

Ahmed vowed that the Ministry of Education would continue to collaborate with UNICEF and other relevant agencies in the education sector on how to effectively tackle the menace of out-of-school children in the state.